Australians lose to Bangladesh

Australia has succumbed to a despairing first ever loss to Bangladesh after a David Warner century was not enough to save them from collapsing in an epic Test match thriller in Dhaka.

With a stirring comeback story within reach, Australia's middle order batsmen fell in a heap to deliver cricket's ninth-ranked minnows a stunning result that will go down as one of the all-time great upsets, but at the same time an abject failure for Steve Smith's men.

Pat Cummins almost pulled off a miracle for Australia with a six-hitting 33 not out, but Josh Hazlewood was trapped lbw 20 runs short of victory to spark raucous celebrations on the pitch and in the stands.

Warner smashed a superb drought-breaking hundred in the sub-continent - an innings full of spirit ad fight and arguably the finest of his decorated career - but his dismissal opened the floodgates as Australia capitulated to lose 6-41 in the space of just 16 overs.

Cummins and Nathan Lyon raised final hopes that a miracle was still possible when they put on 29 in 10 overs, but in the end not even the sight of the big bowler smashing two sixes into the crowd could stop Bangladesh from celebrating a moment in history - just their 10th victory in 101 Tests.

Chasing 265 to win in the fourth innings on a treacherous pitch was always going to be a huge challenge, and despite the fight shown by some, Australia's middle order made a complete meal of the chase to be bowled out for 244 and lose by 20 runs.

When Glenn Maxwell was bowled by 10-wicket hero Shakib Al Hasan the very first ball after lunch, it was virtually curtains with Australia still 66 runs from home and only the bowlers left.

However, the real damage was done not today but in the first innings, when Australia's batting failed so miserably they gave up a 43-run deficit.

Australia are now just one more loss in Chittagong away from the ignominy of plummeting to No.6 on the Test rankings, but perhaps that's an accurate marker of where this team is at.

Another Aussie batsman trudges from the field after being dismissed. Photo: Getty

Selectors will now be forced to consider urgent changes for the second and final Test, with Usman Khawaja and Matt Wade the two men most under the gun.

Warner and Smith showed enormous fight to combine for a 130-run stand that turned the momentum of the match. With the two leaders at the crease it seemed Australia couldn't lose.

But even after the pair departed in quick succession, the finish line was still in sight with only 94 more runs needed.

But suddenly the target turned into Everest and Australia plunged off the cliff face and into an embarrassing place in the history books.

Australia's shocking record in the sub-continent continues and the most chastening lesson from this match has been that the team has gone backwards since the advancements made in India.

The day four collapse looked horrendous, but in the end, Australia had set themselves up for failure by bombing so badly in the first innings.

To post only 217 and give up a lead when they should have been in the driver's seat was the true shame of this Test match and they then paid the price for the carnage that can unfold on spinning sub-continental wickets.

Australia's David Warner acknowledges the crowed after scoring a centuryA.M. Ahad

Almost a year ago, England lost 10-64 in the fourth innings to Bangladesh in Dhaka - with David no longer intimidated by cricket's Goliaths.

The nightmarish flashbacks to collapses of the past started when Warner, Smith, Peter Handscomb, Wade and Ashton Agar all fell for just 37 runs on the board.

Khawaja - who was not part of the collapse - has looked all at sea in this Test is now on the chopping block, unless selectors take the even more drastic measure of axing keeper Wade and shifting Handscomb to behind the stumps.

It's been another disappointing Test for Handscomb - who has now reached 15 in nine of his 10 innings in Asia, but is still yet to go on and make a big hundred.

Handscomb's whippy shot to be caught at slip was arguably the worst of the collapse.

Warner and Wade were both trapped lbw and wrongly threw away reviews, while Smith gave a feather edge behind the stumps to depart for 37.

Australia resumed full of confidence on day four, but the final scoreboard says they still haven't successfully chased a target of 250 plus overseas since way back in 2011.

Their batting record in Asia is worse than any country in world cricket.

It was a great shame that Warner's outstanding hundred became lost in the crash.

Under pressure to deliver on the sub-continent, Warner showed outstanding leadership to peel off 112 from 135 balls - one of the performances of his career.

Australia will need more of that kind of muster if they're to save themselves from a horror series loss in Chittagong.